Golf ball retrieving machine



Nov. '12, 1957 I l.. wooDALL 2,812,871

GOLF BALL RETRIEVING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19. 1955 I ZIA willful/111111111114, L

.40 V-WNAVJ ,JL 15T Ill JI IN VEN TOR.

GOLF` BALL RETRIEVING MACHINE Leslie Woodall, Windsor, Ontario, Canada Application August 19, 1953, Serial No. 375,254

3 Claims. (Cl. 214-356) This invention relates to golf driving range equipment and, in particular, to golf ball retrieving machines.

Golf driving ranges, where golfers practice their driving strokes, inthe course of such practice receive hundreds of golf balls which are driven out into the grass of the range to widely scattered locations. From time to time it becomes necessary to pick up these golf balls and return them to the tees for reuse. The problem of picking up this enormous number of widely-scattered golf balls is complicated by the fact that there are two sizes of golf balls still in use upon such rangesthe older and now superseded 1.62 golf ball and the newer and larger 1.68 golf ball which has replaced it in competition. This problem is still further complicated by the fact that some balls become knocked out of round. It is expensive for operators of such ranges to replace all of the older and smaller golf balls with the newer and larger ones, especially since such balls are subjected to such rough treatment that it is costly enough even when using balls of both sizes.

Golf ball retrieving machines hitherto devised have frequently been the cause of damaging many of the golf balls while they were being picked up, and such prior machines have been incapable of satisfactorily picking up both sizes of balls or balls which are out of round. Certain prior machines, moreover, have caused damage to the turf when turning corners while others have suffered from iniiexibility and inadaptability to both small and large driving ranges.

One object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball retrieving machine which is adapted to rapidly and eiciently retrieve balls of both sizes currently in use, even when both sizes are distributed indiscriminately over the range.

Another object is to provide a golf ball retrieving machine wherein the balls are retrieved by resiliently mounted discs which not only pick up both sizes of ball and balls which are out of round, but also by their resilient mounting firmly grip the balls as well as yielding sufficiently to prevent damage to the ball if a ball is encountered accidentally directly under one of the discs.

Another object is to provide a golf ball retrieving machine which turns corners easily without digging up the turf and which is also easily backed. Y

Another object is to provide a golf ball retrieving machine which is assembled in independent units connected to one another so that a small golf driving range may use only one or two units, whereas a large one can assemble as many as five units side by side in one machine, the different units being linked together by parallel links which enable them to rise and fall independently so as to adjust themselves to irregularities in the terrain.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of one of the self-contained units of a golf ball retrieving machine, according to one sited? States Patent() nel members 40 by supplemental channel members 48.

n consists of a central anged hub 60 bored as at 62 to form of the present invention, with a removable golf ball receiving container indicated in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the golf ball retrieving unit of Figure 1, with the removable golf ball receiving container similarly shown in dotted lines;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through a pair of the golf ball retrieving discs and the ball guide between them, taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a complete machine consisting of five interlinked units of the type shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure 4 shows a golf ball retrieving machine, generally designated 10, as consisting of a plurality of identical but independent golf ball retrieving units, generally designated 12. Five such units are shown for purposes of illustration, but it will be self-evident and distinctly understood that a greater or lesser number may be used depending upon the size of the range and the volume of golf balls requiring retrieving. Moreover, the machine may be started with one or two units, and other units 12 may be added from time to time as the range increases in size or use or becomes financially better able to afford a larger machine. The central unit 12 isconnected by a main draw bar 14 to a tractor or other towing machine, the draw bar 14 having a hook or right-angle bend 16 at its rearward end and a coupling eye 18 at its forward end.

Also welded or otherwise secured to the forward end of the main draw bar 14 is a coupling plate 20 having spaced multiple holes 22 therein, these holes being engaged by the forward bent ends 24 of secondary draw bars 26, the rearward bent ends 2S of which are connected to the outlying units 12 in a similar manner to the central or main draw bar 14, as described below in connection with the description of the individual units 12. The individual units 12 are interconnected laterally by floating links 30 secured by pivot bolts or pivot pins 32 at their opposite ends to the respective adjacent units, which are separated laterally a slight distance from one another to enable relative rise and fall of one unit relatively to its neighboring unit or units without flashing or conflicting with one another.

Each machine unit 12 consists of a rectangular main frame 34 composed of front and rear channel members 36 and 38 interconnected by side channel members 40. Intermediate their opposite ends, the side channel members 40 are interconnected by an intermediate cross channel member 42. The forward and intermediate cross channel members 36 and 42 are interconnected by a central longitudinal channel member 44 whereas the intermediate and rear cross channel members 42 and 38 are similarly interconnected by slightly spaced parallel channel members 46. Similarly, the outer ends of the same cross channel members 42 and 38 are interconnected adjacent the chan- These various frame members 36 to 48 are preferably secured to one another by welding in order to form the main frame 34.

Bolted or otherwise secured to the channel members 46 and 48 and depending therefrom are two pairs of aligned journal bearings or shaft hangers 50 in which two coaxial but longitudinally spaced shafts 52 are rotatably mounted. Secured at intervals along each shaft unit 52 are axially spaced sets or pairs, collecttively designated 54, of ball pickup wheels 56 and 58 respectively. The wheels 56 and 58 are similar in construction to one another but face in opposite directions (Figure 3) so that a single description and a single set of reference numerals will suce for both.

Each ball pickup wheel 56 or 5S of the pair or set 54 Patented Nov. 12, 1957.

receive the shaft 52 and drilled and threaded transversely at a desired location along the shaft 52. The annular 68 "spaced circumfereutially aroundfthebange *66th 66"'and secured therein by the bolts 70.A

The outer` periphery ofI eachv resilient, disc `74l ios prvo annular; outer ball pickup disc86having anfoutyfvardly The outer'rdiscs" 86rare convenientlyv made pt sheet met Secured Y as by welding tothe intermediatev cross cha ends 92 of ball ejector orinterceptorlingers 'orbar sf,9 4`, l

58," and having its` rearward .end 96 termiuatinggapproxiQ-, mately over they shaft '52, orf slightly rearwardly thereof.

junctions of the resilient discs .74..and the', outer annular.,

invention.

ecto'rl 102 ,is secured;i likewise p'referably by weld' The' ball deflector 1'0'2tconsists ,ofY angled.r forwartli2 portions` 1 04 diver-gingj relatively totone anotherl fromE their tions 1 06 .extending rearwardly1 froml the.,rea,rw-artigA ends of tljef portions1104finto close proximity to the lower v 8810i the Aball,` pickupwh'eels 56and 5 8..('.Figurles lzand 2). "lhefoutenend` portions 106:f e.l downwardly i y clinedupper edges '8Qin order to bring,th'einrclos'es toe thefdisc peripheries 38`(Figu're 2). Cooperatingwith theV-s'h'a'ped ball dellectors 102 .at `the outer ends'of l the. shafts v52'L are half Vball dellectorsfllltl. :These, as.th'eir7 names.. signify, consist of vertical. angle arms ctrbari 11 securedy at their upper endsto ytheside channel membersl 40 adjacent the outer ends of the intermediate cross ,cl.1ar 1; .I nelmember 42.4

Securedto theA lower ends of thearms. 112 are deile :toi1 bars: 114 ,having,inwardly-inclined; forward .pontions 1a16 terminating ,in rearward end portionsllS similar tofftheil end portions 106 and having downwardlyinclined'suppelt edges 1 2() s imilarlyv disposed relativelyv to. ,its;respective wheelf56 or 58. Securedas byfweldingat their;uppe r endsto the forward andintermediatecross channel.memg., bers 3 ,6 and,42 are approximately u -shapedtballfcontainer rests; 122 disposed atintervalsI along the members-Sz-and. 42,. These supports ,122,1 in cooperationawith Atherad-V 'acntportions of the members.36,.40, .421andr44 provideVK spaces/,123 for receivingrectangulan baskets or ball. con-Q ainers or .receptacles 124 ,shown in .dotted lines inthee ower right-hand corner of Figure'l andinrthefcentalf. ortion of Figure 2. Each of the baskets,1243isprovided t its upper forward edge .with a-guard orv d ellecto-y porfort; 126- extending thereacross .approximately halfway.Y

ilange 66 ofthe hub 601s providedmwithparaxial holesg receiving bolts. 70 vwhichpass 'throughg sirnilarlyjspaced hole s}72"in the innerperiphe'ry ofja resilient discgon'ringV 74 and'thence through similarly spaced holes 76 y:inria re; taining vring 78"'mount'edlo`nthe inner, sideof therassernbly i Stfory 58g The resllientfdisc 74.is seated in. anannlilarr` depression or rabbet 80 inthe hub 60`adjacentth`e flange.`

lcircumferentially-spaced VVholes ISZalgne'cLwith similarly spaced holes 84`in the inner periphery ofQa'nrl c UIVedorflared outerperipheral'rirn 8 8.: The resilient, inner ringswor'dis'cs 74j and theannulano'uter d'islcsw8`6,"I arelheldgin assembly with oneanother by; bol'tsor rivets;v

resilient disc or ring' 74 `is preferablyv of vilexibleorfelastieQ materialsuch as natural or synthetic rubber containin`g a plurality of spaced; layers of corded fabric,` [similar to the material from which vrubber .conveyor belt'sfare'-mde nell members v 42 at intervals thereacross 'are'` Qthe'f'forwrdV- each` of these bars 94 extending rearwardly` in a chordal L direction betweeneach pair, of ball pickup wheels 5.6 ,andll The, fingers or-'bars 94, are locatedslightly'abovef'thm disssgtligures zand '3 so'that they intereptgalijggblrf balls Q98; caughty .and held-between the.outer discs {86,y as. decibed belowfin connection withthe: operationcoflthe Secured at'itsupper end to the cross channel memberM forward ends vat"'the arml 1ll0fandvlrearward'tparallehpor.

wasn

to receive a set screw 64'by which the hub 60 is locked" 4, over the top of the basket and inclined upwardly and rearwardly (Figure 2') to prevent balls 98 from being thrown forwardly entirely over the basket 124. The baskets 124 may be made of metal mesh material and are removably mounted in the spaces 123.

Welded or otherwise secured to the central portion of the forward cross channel'melmber 36 and extending forwardly therefrom is a horizontal tow plate 128 having a hole 13,10*;inthe forwardwendrthereof adapted to receive the rearward bent endi16n or 28 of the main or secondary draw bar'14ort26g-asthe case maybe. Bolted or otherwise securedtojhe .undersideofthe tow plate 128 is the base 13`2 o'f"a A'swivel caster, generally designated 134, and including a pivot pinl136`y passing through the base 132 and the bridge portion 138 of a fork 140 carrying an axle 142 for a caster wheel 144 equipped with a rubber tire 146. The swivel caster 134 turns to and fro around its pivo t .pin 136 as themachine 10 changes course or turns corners.; l i

In thedoperation of the invention,. let it beassumed thatiive'units'. 12" havebeen., linked together side by side byth'e.A lloatin'g, links".30;,andY pivot bolts.32 (Figure4),

aridgthatl their respective tow', plates 128.have'been con-V nectedfto Vthe.eouplihgf plate 20f either by the main draw` bar;1 4vor the .secondary draw bar 26.V Let it finally be assumed. that 1ball v receptacles. or. baskets 124 .have been it ,benleswedg'ed .into the space between the opposing outer-discs 86;,after. being possibly. deected byA theared orroundedperipheriesSS thereof (Figure 3).v vThe balls 98fthsWedgedbetweenftheidiscs 86 vare held firmly by the resilienc'eooflheinner 'elastie'discs or rings 72 and pass arouudas indicatedbylFigure 2untilthey collidewith the ingers or bars 94,whe'reupon each ball 98 rolls along the top ofI its. interceptiugring 94 .andfdrops intov the basket or .balli receptacle'124if Sincethe'outer discs v86 of each4 setj574 of disc assemblies Sti-and 58 are resiliently mounted, small diameter;balls',l large-'diameter ballsor deformed ballsare readily'intercepted; picked up and deposited in theibaskets,1124i Whenthebaskets 124 becomelled or theQoperator-reaches the .er1d.of hisvp'athv of travelover the dr-iving'rangeJhe Vballs are removed from the ,baskets 124 ancl th` rnafcl'lirieris readylfor, another trip over the driving Fnge# i v i Tliegconstruction wherebyj each. unit 12 carriesztwol shaft-s 52 assists theunit. in `turning..corners,without diggingfup3the-grass.` The construction Aofy-the machine enables-.it to be back edvreadilyLeven though it consists of tive units, each unit 1 2- 'ofl whichyfor example, may be vefeetrwidef. As-the machine v 10 movesY over the undulating'fterraingof thec lr'iyingE rangehthe various units 12 rise, aidfallrlativelytoneanother by reason of their interconnection by the paralleloating'links 30. In this mannenY the machine covers `the irregular Vsurface of the range andpicks upallgof `the golf balls from the grass or ground thereof; f

Thu's'ther'e has beenprovided a golf-ball retrieving machine by which the balls A"are 'picked up by smooth steelVv dises Vwhichprovide lessfr'iction and therefore less tendency to-remove the-paint from the.ball. After years of use, thesesteel discs remain substantiallythe. same. and..

Wear isnegligible, any. roughness causedby runningover stones.beingrlimitedntothe outer edge, away fromv thea 5 balls. In the event of an accident, such as a heavy truck ruiming into a unit, that unit can be disconnected and the range Operator can still use the undamaged units as before.

What I claim is:

l. A golf ball retrieving machine comprising a frame adapted to be moved over the ground, a shaft mounted transversely on said frame, a plurality of pairs of ball pickup wheels mounted on said shaft at laterally-'spaced locations thereacross,feach wheel having a hub mounted in an axially-fixed location on said shaft and a centrally-aper tured peripheral disc tiltably mounted on said hub in radially-spaced encircling relationship thereto, and resilient means disposed between said hub and said disc and yieldingly connecting said disc to said hub, said resi-lient means normally urging said disc into a plane perpendicular to said shaft, the hubs of each said pair of wheels being mounted on said shaft at intervals normally spacing the peripheries of said discs apart from one another by a distance slightly less than the Adiameter of the smallest ball to be picked up, a ball receptacle mounted on said frame, and a ball ejector disposed in the path of the balls gripped between said discs and directed toward said receptacle.

2. A golf ball retrieving machine comprising a frame adapted to be moved over the ground, a shaft mounted transversely on said frame, a plurality of pairs of ball pick-up wheels mounted on said shaft at laterally-spaced locations thereacross, each wheel having a hub mounted in an axially-fixed location on said shaft, a resilient member mounted on said hub, and a centrally-apertured peripheral disc tiltably mounted on said resilient member in radially-spaced encircling relationship to said hub, the hubs of each said pair of wheels being mounted on said shaft at intervals normally spacing the peripheries of said discs apart from one another by a distance slightly liess than the diameter of the smallest ball to be picked up, said resilient member normally urging said disc into a plane perpendicular to said shaft, a ball receptacle mounted on said frame, and a ball ejector disposed in the path of the balls gripped between said discs and directed toward said receptacle.

3. A golf ball retrieving machine comprising a frame adapted to be moved over the ground, a shaft mounted transversely on said frame, a plurality of pairs of ball pick-up wheels mounted on said shaft at laterally-spaced locations thereacross, each wheel having a hub mounted in an axially-fixed location on said shaft, an annular resilient member mounted on said hub, and a centrallyapertured peripheral disc tiltably mounted on said resilient member in radially-spaced encircling relationship to said hub,` the hubs of each said pair of wheels being mounted on said shaft at intervals normally spacing the peripheries of said discs apart from one another by a distance slightly less than the diameter of the smallest bal-l to be picked up, said resilient member normally urging said disc into a plane perpendicular to said shaft, a ball receptacle mounted on said frame, and a ball ejector disposed in the path of the balls gripped between said discs and directed toward said receptacle.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,182,838 Bennett Dec. 12, 1939 2,651,902 Curry Sept. 15, 1953 2,656,061 Loekie Oct. 20, 1953 2,658,637 Bailey Nov. 10, 1953 

